There is a great quote, often wrongly attributed to Aristotle, but is actually from Will Durant (who is very well worth reading) in his discussion of Aristotle (The Story of Philosophy, 1926): Excellence is an art won by training and habituation: we do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have theseContinue reading “EXCELLENCE”
Category Archives: Opinions
Better Angels
Uncle Jim pointed to a recent article in Science discussing Steven Pinker’s The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined (2011). I gave the book a quick read and found it a simple gloss on the benefits of global integration; hopeful homilies of an academician sheltered from the possibilities of violence. Pinker’s general thesis isContinue reading “Better Angels”
July 4th 2017
The iconic picture of Washington crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze. While fraught with inaccuracies, the image is a powerful reminder of the total commitment the rebels had, pledging their fortunes, lives and sacred honor to the cause. Now used as a parody of saccharine inspirational posters. It translates the 18th century ideology to currentContinue reading “July 4th 2017”